Soliloquy

A Passage North by Anup Arudpragasam is a touching novel based on the searing pain that loss often brings with itself. I particularly liked the equation that Krishan shares with his grandmother while the relationship he had with Anjum is rather sentimental as well. 

All the characters in the book are modelled powerfully, and the introspection that Krishan undertakes on a regular basis to find out for himself where his heart lies is what forms the crux of the story. Rani and her battle with trauma after losing her son to the militancy in northern Sri Lanka is portrayed with fascinating emotionalism, and it is hard for one to not shed a tear or two. 

I enjoyed unravelling the character of Anjum, the Indian girl with whom Krishan falls in love during his time in Delhi. She stands out for her aloof yet not unkind nature. Krishan is desperately in love with her but she is not, and they both know it, and what’s more- they are waiting for the end to come. 

In bits and pieces- sometimes as a whole- this book is about the self-observing nature that Krishan seems to have intrinsically cultivated, as is the lack of action that such heresies sometimes spawn. All in all, it is a thoughtful piece of work from Arudpragasam, who is perhaps the finest writer of this generation from Sri Lanka.

Rating: 4/5

If you like my work, consider visiting my website to get in touch with more of my writing. You can follow me on Twitter as well. Also, sign up for the newsletter to get regular updates coming your way. Would love to get in touch with you!